Prosecutors Say Ex-Pa. Rep. Abused Office 'Over and Over'

Former Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah Sr. abused his position for personal gain "over and over again," according to federal prosecutors, the Washington Post reported.

Fattah, a Democrat, and four of his associates are on trial in a 29-count indictment that includes racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering.

A report on Pennsylvania's WPVI-TV noted that the case investigates an illegal $1 million loan Fattah allegedly took during a failed attempt to run for mayor of Philadelphia in 2007.

Assistant U.S. attorney Paul Gray said Fattah used a lobbyist as a "human ATM machine," according to the Post. Gray told the jurors that "insiders" would help prove the case against Fattah.

Fattah's defense attorney said Fattah had "nothing to do with any of it," the Post explained. WPVI-TV noted that Fattah's lawyer, Mark Lee, placed the blame for the illegal loan on two of Fattah's former campaign aides.

Both pleaded guilty and asked the judge for leniency.

Fattah, a Democrat, is a veteran of the political scene in Philadelphia, where he was an 11-term Congressman. He was defeated in the April Democratic primary by State Rep. Dwight Evans.

Another Washington Post article mentioned that in Fattah's previous election two years ago, he had no challenger in the primary and won 88 percent of the vote against a Republican contender.

Fattah spoke to WPVI-TV on the way in to court, thanking the voters and citizens for "their prayers over these many, many years."

Science magazine lamented Fattah's primary loss, thanking Fattah for his longtime support of science, and help in creating a multiagency program for studying the brain.

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